Card index



Aug; 17 1926. 1,596,661 LE 301 E. HUTCHINGS CARD INDEX Filed March 10 I 192 Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TOJAMES H. RAND, JR., 013 TONAWANDA, NEW YORK.

GAB/D INDEX.

Application filed March 10, 1924. Serial No. 697,998.

This invention relates to card indexes and more particularly to the type of index in which a plurality of cards or card-holders are maintained in overlapping, nested relation on a support with the edges of the cards or holders projectingone beyond another.

In indexes of this kind, cards or cardholders have been provided, having tongues or projecting parts stamped or struck out of the body of the card and adapted to engage cooperating opposed flanges or parts on the support. These tongues or projections are separately formed and usually extend laterally in opposite directions, either towards or away from each other, and are at a considerable distance apart relatively to the width of the card body. Consequently, when inserting or attaching such cards on the supports, the tongues have to be separately manipulated to engage them with the flanges or retaining parts on the support by bending or distorting them out of the plane of the card body. This procedure results in the loss of considerable time in the use of the index, and requires care to properly insert the opposed tongues. The bending or flexing of these tongues, each time a card is attached to, or removed from the support, results in rapid wear, and the tongues soon become weakened or broken off, rendering the card useless. Further, as the projecting tongues are stamped out of the body. of the card, a considerable portion of the card is unavailable for the reception of record -matter.

One of the obj ectsof the present invention is to provide a card index in which the cards have improved andxsimplified attaching means whereby the cards may be attached to the supporting member of the index by simply placing each card obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the support and parallel to the supporting surface, with the attaching means in engagement with the retaining member thereof, and turning the Cfild so that it extends transversely of the support.

Another object'is to construct the attachportions adapted to engage beneath the opposed flanges or parts of the retaining member of the index; also to form said tongue with a relatively narrow neck ing means for each card in the form of a 1 0 single tongue, having oppositely directed adapted to slide between the flanges to guide the card lengthwise of the support, and prevent lateral movements of the card on the support. Another object is to provide, in a card 1ndex, a card having an attaching tongue formed on a member other than the body member of the card and which extends beyond an edge of the card body; also to form the attaching'tongue so that the card may be easily and quickly attached or applied to the supporting member of the index without bending or flexing the tongue.

Other objects are to improve card indexes and cards therefor in the other respects'here- 'inafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary face view of a card index constructed in accordance with a the preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a number of nested cards arranged on a support, and showing the method of attaching a card thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the'card series separated for the insertion of other cards.

Flg. 3 1s a face view, partly in section, of

one of the cards detachedp Fig. 4 is a view of two nested overlapping Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the card shown in Fig. '5.

Fig. 9 is a face view of a card of modified form.

In the card index of this invention a plurality of like index cards are provided, which are, adapted tobe arranged on a support in nested, overlapping relation with their edges projecting one beyond another. Each card is provided with an attaching member-having a single tongue preferably formed with oppositely directed parts adapted to engage beneath flanges or retaining parts on the support. The cards are nested by engaging an edge of one card between the body portion and the attaching member of another card, and the nested cards are permitted to have sliding movements on the support,by means of a reduced neck on the tongue ofthe attaching member, which also prevents lateral movements of the cards on the support;

In the preferred form of card index shown in the drawings, each of the index cards A comprises a substantially rectangular body portion 10, and an attaching member or portion 11. The attaching member v11 contacts with the card body 10 along or adjacent its upper edge 12, while the lower portion of the member 11 extends away or is offset slightly from the card body so as to extend in the same general direction as the card body, but out of contact therewith. The attaching member 11 is preferably of inverted triangular'form, with its base adjacent the edge 12 of the card body and its apex extendingfto or beyond the middle of the lower edge 13 of the card body, where it is provided with a single tongue 14: adapted to engage retaining parts on the supporting member B of the index. The supporting member B is preferablyformed of sheet metal and comprises a flat back and a central, longitudinal retaining member 21 inthe form of a longitudinal strip secured to the back 20 and having opposed, inwardly directed parallel flanges 22.

The single tongue 14: of each card is I preferably formed with a head portion connected to the attaching member by a reduced, straight neck 24, and the side p01? tions of the head, which extend laterally beyond the sides of the neck are preferably rounded as shown. The length of the head of tongue '14, or the distance from its lower free edgev to the, line of, connection with the neck '24:, is less than the width of the heads and less than the distance between the edgesof the flanges 22, while the width of the heads-14c is greater than said distance and I somewhat less than the distance between the connecting parts of these flanges. The width of the neck 24- is also slightly less than the distance between the edges of the flanges 22. By forming the tongues let with neck portions 24 in this manner the cards A may be easily and quickly attached 'to the support B, without the necessity of manipulating or bending the tongues in any way; This is done by merely turning each card to an angular position, relatively to and substantially parallel with the back 20 of the support, see Fig. 1,"so as to position the head of the tongue with its widest dimension lengthwise of the member 21, and,

by slightly inclining the card, or the tongue, until the portions 25 are below or back of the plane of the flanges 22, and then swingingthe card to a transverse position rela tively to the support, the card will be attached thereto by the engagement of the parts 25 "of the tongue beneath the flanges .po'rt, having overhanging flanges 43-.

body 10 and extending from the top edge 12. The two parts are then secured together adjacent said edge, by suitable means, such as the wire staples or stitches 30, which are arranged in a line parallel to the top edge, sothat, by guiding the top edge 12 of the next card between the card body 10 and attaching member 11, the cards may be nested in overlapping relation, the staples thus forming stops for positioning the cards so that the lower freeedges 13 of the card bodies are exposed, one beyond another.

The card A shown in Figs. 5 and 8. differs from the cards A only in that, 'instead of the body portion 10 and attach ing member l1 being integral, they are formed separately and are secured together by staples. 30 as in the cards A.

A simplified form of card A is shown in Fig. 9, in which an attachingmember is provided which is formed integrally with the card body 36 by being stamped or struck therefrom as by a die, or otherwise. The member 35 is offset slightly from the card' body 36 along the line 37 and is provided with a tongue 38 formed (with a neck 39, similar to the tongueM and neck 24 of the card A. The portion of the attaching mem ber 35 between'the neck 39 and the line 37 is separated from the card body along the inclined lines/l0, so that a triangular portion is formed betweenwhich' and the card body, another card. may be guided to nest ing position, the card or cards being. free to slide on the support while being pre vented from lateral displacement thereon by the engagement of the sides of the neck with the edges of the flanges 22 as before.

While the card described, when attached to the member 21, areheld while nested al displacement such as would occur if pressure were exerted against theirside edges,

sufficient to twist them sidewise'to an inclined position.

The means shown for-this purpose preferably comprises side walls d2 on the sup- The sidewalls are adapted to engage the side edges 44: ofthe card bodies'to prevent twisting of the cards on the support, while the flanges 43', by overhanging the edges 44 maintains them flat on the support in their intended positions and prevents them from lifting away therefrom.

The support B is preferably provided with a stop portion 45, extending transversely across its lower end, which is so formed that the tongue 14 of the lower card of the series may pass beneath it, while the lower edge 13 of the card body 10 will abut against it to maintain the series from endwise movement or detachment from the lower end of the support. If desired, a follower 46, of any suitable form may be provided to engage the opposite or upper end of the card series to prevent unintentional endwise movements of the cards in an opposite direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a card index, a series of overlapping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion andan attaching member provided with a single tongue, a support for said cards, a card-retaining member thereon hav ing opposed flanges beneath which said tongue is adapted to be engaged to attach said card to said support, and parts on said support adapted to engage parts of said card body to prevent transverse movement of said cards on said support.

2. In a card index, a series of overlapping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion and an attaching 1ne1nber disposed on the back thereof and provided with a single tongueformed with a reduced neck between its end and the attaching member, asupport for said cards, a cardretaining member thereon having opposed flanges beneath which the end of said tongue is adapted to be engaged to attach said card to said support, and to guide said card for sliding movements lengthwise of said support.

3. In a card index, a series of overlapping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion and an attaching member provided with a single tongue, a support for said cards, a card-retaining member thereon having opposed flanges beneath which the end of said tongue is adapted to be engaged to attach said card to said sup-port, to guide said card for sliding movements lengthwise of said support, and parts on said support adapted to engage the side edges of said card body to prevent transverse movements of said cards on said support.

4. In a card index, a series of overlap ping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion and an attaching member on the back thereof and provided with a single tongue disposed inia plane in rear of said body portion, a support for said cards, a card-retaining member thereon having opposed flanges, said tongue having oppositely disposed lateral projections located substantially adjacent the central longitudinal axis of said card, said card being adapted to be attached to said support by arranging said card obliquely :to and substantially flatwise thereon, passing said tongue between said flanges and turning said card so as to engage said lateral projections of said tongue beneath said flanges, whereby said card is maintained substantially flatwise on said support.

5. In a card index, a series of overlapping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion and an attaching member on the back thereof and provided with a single [tongue disposed in a plane in rear of said body portion, a support for said cards, a card-retaining member thereon having opposed flanges, the end of said tongue having oppositely disposed lateral projections, said end being proportioned so that its length is less than the distance between the edges of said flanges, and its width is greater than said distance, whereby, by arranging said card obliquely to and substantially flatwise on said support, said end of the tongue may be passed between said flanges, and by turning said card, said projections may be engaged beneath said flanges to maintain said card substantially flatwise on said support.

6. In a card index, a series of overlapping cards arranged with their edges exposed one beyond the other, each card having a body portion and an attaching member secured adjacent to an edge thereof and extending substantially parallel therewith and which is provided with a single tongue extending lengthwise beyond an end of said body portion, a support for said card, a card-retaining member thereon having opposed flanges beneath which the end of said tongue is adapted to be engaged to attach said card to said support, said end being connected to said attaching member by a reduced neck which is adapted to extend between said flanges, and said attaching member being adapted to maintain said card in overlapping relation to the other cards of said series,.by the insertion of an edge of each card between the body portion and the attaching member of an adjacent card.

LE ROI n. nuromucsf 

